The benchmark indices settled over 1.5 per cent higher on Friday led by a sharp rise in automobile stocks amid a jump in the Asian markets which rose as China and the United States expressed optimism about resolving their bruising trade war.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 35,012, up 580 points (up 1.8 per cent), while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,553, up 173 points (up 1.7 per cent). The indices ended over 5 per cent higher this week, making it the biggest weekly gain since May 2016.

Among the sectoral indices, Nifty Auto index rose 4.2 per cent led by a rise in Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp. The Nifty Bank index, too, ended 1.5 per cent led by IndusInd Bank and Axis Bank.

In stocks, the oil and gas companies rallied led by BPCL which rose 6.4 per cent to Rs 301 on the BSE while IOC ended nearly 5 per cent higher at Rs 148.

The rupee firmed against the US dollar, reclaiming the 72-per-dollar levels. The Indian currency rose to 72.53 against the greenback in intra-day trade, up from its previous close of 73.45 per dollar.

The S&P BSE Sensex hit an intra-day high of 35,065, but pared gains to end at 34,970 levels, up 256 points. The broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,692, up 75 points.

Reliance Industries (RIL) hit a record high of Rs 1,000 per share, up 2.5% on the BSE in intraday trade on the BSE, ahead of its Q4FY18 results today. The stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 990 recorded on January 23, 2018 in intra-day deal. The textiles-to-telecom conglomerate, RIL is expected to post its best-ever quarterly consolidated net profit, with the figure expected to be close to Rs 100-billion mark.

Country’s largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki, reported a record annual profit of Rs 77.21 billion for the year ended March 31, 2018, helped by a double-digit growth in volumes of cars sold. The Suzuki-promoted firm clocked a near 17 percent jump in sales revenue for the year to Rs 781 billion. Profit, however, grew by just five percent. An increase in effective tax rates and lower non-operating income due to mark-to-market impact on the invested surplus, compared to last year impacted net profit, the company said.

Shares of public sector undertaking (PSU) banks were in focus with Nifty PSU Bank index gaining 5%, its sharpest intra-day gain during past one month on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Benchmark indices were flat on Friday even as minutes of the central bank’s policy panel meeting stoked expectations of an interest rate hike, with losses in financials and metals overshadowing gains in information technology stocks.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 34,416, down 12 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 10,564, down 1 points.

The rupee dropped to its lowest in more than a year following a hawkish tone in the minutes, released on Thursday, of the Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting that took place earlier this month.

Among sectoral indices, the Nifty PSU Bank index slipped nearly 2.5% led by a fall in shares of Bank of India and IDBI Bank.

Investors cheered the results of Tata Consultancy Services, sending its shares to an all-time high of Rs 3,421 after the country’s top software services exporter posted its biggest-ever profit on Thursday.

Prakash Constrowell share price rallied 10% after the company has been declared L-1 bidder by the MCGM (Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) for the new project Dumpsite Reclamation at Mulund Dumping Ground (MDG) in Mumbai by adopting suitable technology for existing garbage dump.

J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals fell 2.33% to Rs 312.65 on BSE after the company said it received an order from Pollution Control Committee, Daman for closure of its formulation manufacturing facility at Daman.

They were once seen as among India’s most promising growth stories. Now, however, the fate of ABG Shipyard, Alok Industries and Lanco Infratech is seen as near-certain but in the opposite direction. With huge debt, few takers for their assets and the whopping write-offs (‘haircuts’) that banks are likely to take on the loans given to these companies, industry experts believe liquidation of the trio are among the few options. All three have defaulted on their huge payment obligations.

The Nifty50 index pared gains to end in negative after hitting record highs earlier in the session, as Yes Bank slumped nearly 10% on concerns over bad loans. The Sensex ended flat but at new closing high for the day.

The NSE Nifty and BSE Sensex were gained more than 1.5% each for the week after the cabinet’s decision to inject $32.4 billion into state-run lenders over the next two years boosted sentiment.

State-run oil marketing major, Indian Oil, reported a fall of 18.7% in its net profit for September quarter at Rs 3,696 crore against Rs 4,548 crore during the previous quarter. The revenue came in 13.7% lower at Rs 1.1 lakh crore against Rs 1.28 lakh crore quarter on quarter.

Benchmark indices swung between gains and losses on Friday to end the day flat amid lack of global as well as domestic cues. Nifty50 settled the week 0.8% lower, its first weekly loss in six weeks, breaking its longest gaining streak since late 2014 while Sensex ended the week 0.6% lower.

Gains were capped by a sharp correction in pharma and IT stocks on worries over their earnings outlook while ITC, Tata Motors continued to support the market.

The S&P BSE Sensex settled at 31,056, down 19 points, while the broader Nifty50 ended at 9,588, up 10 points.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE Smallcap pared gains to finish 0.1% higher after rising 0.5% to hit its record high, while the S&P BSE Midcap index was up 0.2%.

Pharma was the top losing index amid worries about their earnings outlook because of pricing pressures in the United States, down 1.8%. Lupin was the biggest laggard on the index, down over 4% followed by 4% Divi’s Lab, Cadila Healthcare, Sun Pharma and Cipla.

Benchmark indices settled the day higher, gaining for the fourth straight week driven by financials even after RBI put HDFC Bank back in the FII ban list.

The Central Bank said the private bank has crossed overall limit of 74% of its paid-up capital and no further purchases of shares the bank would be allowed via exchanges for FIIs. It had allowed allowed foreign investors to resume buying in the private bank earlier.

Nifty50 rose as much as 1.3% during the early morning trade led by HDFC Bank after it gained 9.5% to a record high of Rs 1,454.

The S&P BSE Sensex settled the day at 28,469, up 167 points, while the broader Nifty50 ended at 8,822, up 44 points.

The original interview with Rakesh Jhunjhunwala appeared on The Economic Times and is available here.

In an exclusive interview with ET Now, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Partner, Rare Enterprises, says markets could correct any time it is going to correct more time wise rather than price wise. Edited excerptsET Now: I want to start with something which I picked up on my WhatsApp couple of days ago and it says that there is a strong market rumour that a big bull, which is you, has informed his close circle of friends and his associates that markets have topped out and now we may see a significant correction going forward. Have you told your friends anything like this?

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala: My opinion especially in oil, I think $60 for oil is not to be crossed. Onshore oil costs $3 and the fracking capacity is 10%, 15% of oil capacity in America. The whole world has still not even started and in lot of other countries there are not so many as might have been concerns as there are in America. Third thing is with lower prices, OPEC countries are compelled to produce more because of the cost. So I think personally oil prices at $60 is a line which is not going to be crossed, it is a prediction, I reserve the right to be wrong but it is my opinion that to cross it is very, very difficult. Even in other metal areas, I am not very bullish on prices. I think metal prices in general may have topped out.Continue Reading →